FAR 61.47 — Examiner Responsibilities
FAR 61.47 explains the role and responsibilities of an FAA-authorized examiner during a checkride, including PIC status and passenger rules.
In Plain English
FAR 61.47 defines who the examiner (DPE) is on your checkride and what their role is during the practical test.
Key points:
- The examiner represents the Administrator (the FAA) for the purpose of conducting practical tests and observing whether you can perform the required areas of operation.
- The examiner is not the pilot in command (PIC) during the practical test — unless they agree in advance to act as PIC, either with you (the applicant) or with someone else who would otherwise be PIC.
- During the test, you, the examiner, and anyone else the examiner authorizes on board are not considered passengers, so the normal passenger-carrying rules in this chapter don't apply to the flight.
- An examiner generally cannot give an initial category/class rating checkride in a type-rating aircraft (or a sim representing one) unless you meet the type-rating eligibility (or already hold it) and the test includes the ATP-level type-rating tasks.
Why it matters: this regulation clarifies that you are PIC on your checkride by default — you make the go/no-go and operational decisions, not the DPE.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 61.47§ 61.47 Status and responsibilities of an examiner who is authorized by the Administrator to conduct practical tests.
(a) An examiner represents the Administrator for the purpose of conducting practical tests for certificates and ratings issued under this part and to observe an applicant's ability to perform the areas of operation on the practical test.
(b) The examiner is not the pilot in command of the aircraft during the practical test unless the examiner agrees to act in that capacity for the flight or for a portion of the flight by prior arrangement with:
(1) The applicant; or
(2) A person who would otherwise act as pilot in command of the flight or for a portion of the flight.
(c) Notwithstanding the type of aircraft used during the practical test, the applicant and the examiner (and any other occupants authorized to be on board by the examiner) are not subject to the requirements or limitations for the carriage of passengers that are specified in this chapter.
(d) An examiner may not conduct a practical test for the issuance of an initial category and class rating (if a class rating is required) at the private, commercial, or airline transport pilot certificate level in an aircraft that requires a type rating or a flight simulator or flight training device that represents an aircraft that requires a type rating unless:
(1) The applicant meets the eligibility requirements for a type rating in that aircraft or already holds that type rating on their certificate; and
(2) The practical test contains the tasks and maneuvers for a type rating specified in the areas of operation at the airline transport pilot certification level.
[Docket 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61-103, 62 FR 40897, July 30, 1997, as amended by FAA-2023-1275, Amdt. 61-157, 89 FR 92484, Nov. 21, 2024]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1On your practical test today, who is the pilot in command?
Per FAR 61.47, I am the pilot in command. The examiner represents the Administrator to observe my performance and is not PIC unless they specifically agree by prior arrangement to act in that capacity.
Q2Do the passenger-carrying rules in this chapter apply to you and the examiner during the checkride?
No. Under FAR 61.47(c), the applicant, examiner, and any other occupants the examiner authorizes are not subject to the passenger-carriage requirements or limitations specified in this chapter.
Q3What is the role of the examiner on a practical test?
FAR 61.47(a) states the examiner represents the Administrator for the purpose of conducting the practical test and observing the applicant's ability to perform the required areas of operation.
Studying for a checkride?
Related Sections in Part 61